The Putney Mountain Association is most pleased to announce a $195,000 award from the Vermont Housing and Conservation Board to be used towards a new major land acquisition and conservation project. PMA hopes to purchase a 144.5 acre parcel of prime ridge land on Holland Hill Road in Putney. This beautiful forested piece of land, which has been in the Hannum-O’Connor Family since the 1920s, sits high on the spine of Putney Mountain. The varied terrain includes gentle slopes, stony ledges, old stonewalls, a wetland, and the headwaters of Salmon Brook.

Its value is multiplied by its location. The property lies between two existing conserved areas, PMA’s Dine property and the Silvio O. Conte National Fish and Wildlife Refuge. Its conservation will preserve important wildlife habitat and protect a section of a vital wildlife movement corridor on Windmill Ridge. It will enable us to develop a new public trail system connecting with our Dine trail on Holland Hill Road and is an important step towards linking with PMA and Windmill Hill Pinnacle trails to the north.

The VHCB grant will cover approximately half of the anticipated project cost of $407,150. PMA is seeking the balance of needed funds from foundations, corporate, and individual donations and will soon announce a major fund raising campaign.

Please see our photo of Salmon Brook above, the only year round brook on Putney Mountain lands, and a map showing the strategic placement of the Hannum-O’Connnor property.

For more information, see our Conservation Project page. We hope to close on the purchase of the land in July of 2014.